Who needs Macy's?

If you love huge Thanksgiving balloons but not Manhattan crowds, Springfield, Mass., has got you covered

Chuck , Times Union

By Chuck D'Imperio

Published 1:06 pm, Friday, November 16, 2012

The parade in Springfield, Mass., serves as a mini Macy's Parade. Huge helium balloons, as many as a dozen, slowly meander their way through the downtown business district to the delight of the 100,000 annual visitors. (Spirit of Springfield)

The parade in Springfield, Mass., serves as a mini Macy's Parade....

The parade in Springfield, Mass., serves as a mini Macy's Parade. Huge helium balloons, as many as a dozen, slowly meander their way through the downtown business district to the delight of the 100,000 annual visitors. (Spirit of Springfield)

The parade in Springfield, Mass., serves as a mini Macy's Parade....

Come for the parade, stay for the sports at the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame.
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Come for the parade, stay for the sports at the Naismith Memorial...

Springfield, Mass., is also the birthplace of Theodor Geisel, the beloved Dr. Seuss.
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"Our Parade of Big Balloons started in 1991," said Amy Burke, vice president of Spirit of Springfield, the nonprofit agency that runs the annual event. "The parade has become somewhat of a regional sensation over the years. We hold it the day after Thanksgiving, so if you can't make it to the Macy's Thanksgiving Parade in New York City, come to Springfield."

This parade is serious stuff. Huge helium balloons, as many as a dozen, slowly meander their way through the downtown business district to the delight of the 100,000 annual visitors.

"The parade is really the kickoff of our big holiday season in Springfield, which also consists of our 'Bright Nights in the Park,'" Burke said. "More than 600,000 lights twinkle throughout our famous Frederick Law Olmstead-designed Forest Park. It is such a magical time for everybody."

So, will we see anything like the famous Macy's Day balloons in this parade?

"Of course! The 'Cat in the Hat' always leads our parade," Burke said. "And we do have quite a story about that. Springfield is the birthplace of Theodor Geisel, the beloved Dr. Seuss. His widow, Audrey, now 90 and living in La Jolla, Calif., actually came to Springfield to personally authorize the creation of a 'Cat in the Hat' balloon that is an exact replica of the one in the Macy's parade. She supervised the design of it right down to the famous two hairs coming out by each ear. She required that we sign a legal contract saying that this second and other Cat in the Hat balloon could only be flown in our parade. So obviously, we are very proud of that, and the crowds just love our 75-foot tall Cat."

Hundreds of volunteers man the gigantic balloons, which this year include Fred Flintstone, Fraggle Rock characters and many others.

Native son Geisel is remembered throughout the city, especially in The Quadrangle, an astounding area of five museums. In the middle is the Dr. Seuss National Memorial Sculpture Garden. Here visitors can cavort among life-sized bronze statues of Horton the Elephant, Yertle the Turtle, The Grinch, The Lorax and other beloved Dr. Seuss characters.

Springfield has much to offer the weekend traveler. It hosts a half-dozen wonderful museums, including the Michele and Donald D'Amour Museum of Fine Arts and its permanent gallery of French Impressionist paintings, including works by Monet, Renoir, Gauguin, Degas, Pissarro and others.

The Springfield Science Museum is another gem, featuring life-sized replicas of prehistoric dinosaurs including a Tyrannosaurus rex.

The Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame has drawn millions of visitors to its Connecticut River location since it opened its doors in 1968. Dr. James Naismith invented the game of "basket ball," and the first game was played in Springfield in December 1891. His original handwritten "13 Rules for Basket Ball" are on display here.

The Hall of Fame is famous for its large basketball-shaped rotunda design and soaring basketball tower, which is lit at night like a sports beacon to travelers whizzing by on I-91. Every year, thousands attend the Hall of Fame induction ceremony, which features appearances by many of the game's legends. The 2012 inductees included players Ralph Sampson, Reggie Miller, Mel Daniels and Jamaal Wilkes and coach Don Nelson.

In the nearby suburb of Indian Orchard, the Titanic Museum holds one of the most comprehensive collections of artifacts in the United States from the doomed luxury liner. Among priceless possessions on display is the original wireless telegraph message received by the Titanic telling it the location of dangerous icebergs ahead. Of course, this message never made it to the captain. Mrs. John Jacob Astor's lifejacket is here, as are many other personal possessions of passengers and crew members.

Chuck D'Imperio is a freelance writer in Oneonta.

If you go

Springfield is located off the Mass Pike about 80 miles east of the Capital Region.

The Parade of the Big Balloons begins at 11 a.m. Friday, Nov. 23. Plan on arriving in the downtown business district early because of the large crowds. (http://www.spiritofspringfield.org)

The Museum of Fine Arts (Edwards Street) is open Tuesday through Sunday until 5 p.m.

The Titanic Museum (208 Main St., Indian Orchard) is located six miles northeast of downtown Springfield

The Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame (http://www.hoophall.com) is located at 1000 Hall of Fame Avenue. It is open from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. Monday through Friday and 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. Saturday